What makes Chommies, Chommies

Values are easy to put down on paper. The more important question is how you actually live them.

At Chommies, the things we value have shaped a story and heritage we're proud of. They influence what we make, how we make it, the spaces we create and the community that has grown around us.

And as Chommies grows, they're also what we keep coming back to when we think about where we go next.

More than something you buy

We've always believed that the things we make can be about more than consumption.

Yes, we make collars and leads and accessories - and we care deeply about how they look, how they feel and how well they're made.

But we're more interested in what happens around them.

A lead gets you out the front door. A collar becomes part of hundreds of walks. A blanket ends up on the couch even though someone definitely said the dog wasn't allowed up there.

Objects that become part of routines and memories.

Looking back

Heritage Day feels like a good time to think about where we've come from.

Some of our earlier collections explored that idea quite literally through the Heritage Collar, using colour as a way of celebrating the place Chommies calls home.

A lot has changed since then: Products have changed, colours have evolved, stores have grown and our community has certainly grown too.

But the things underneath Chommies haven't changed all that much.

We still believe in making things properly.

We still believe that colour, texture and good design can make everyday life more interesting.

We still believe in staying curious.

And we still believe that the people around a brand matter just as much as the things it makes.

The things we take with us

As Chommies grows, there will be new products, new places, new ideas and plenty we haven't thought of yet.

But wherever we go next, there are a few things we're taking with us.

Craft. Things made by people, with skill, time and care.

Community. Creating places and reasons for people to connect, whether that's in one of our stores, at an event or because two dogs decided to introduce their humans.

Creativity. Playing with colour, texture and ideas, and finding ways to make the everyday a little less everyday.

Curiosity. Looking closer, trying things, asking questions and occasionally following the dog just to see where they're going.

Maybe that's what heritage means to us.

Not simply looking backwards, but knowing what we want to carry forward.

And for Chommies, that's always going to start with the things, people and dogs that made us who we are.